There’s no need to remind Arizonans about the stakes of this election.

Each of us has lived through Gov. Doug Ducey dismantling our public education system to provide tax cuts for corporations and the wealthiest. We’ve watched as he’s ignored teachers and taxpayers alike to implement his partisan agenda, instead of one that puts our children and our future first.

We’ve all witnessed Ducey’s embrace of President Donald Trump’s heated rhetoric and dog-whistle tactics in place of problem solving.

Yes, the stakes are high. But, Arizona, we’ve seen this political show before.

I'm offering voters a different path

I made the decision to run for governor after Ducey passed the largest voucher expansion in state history. As an educator, a veteran and a parent of two daughters in public school, I wasn’t going to sit by and watch that happen.

I wasn’t the only one. Educators, veterans, parents — these are the names you’ll find up and down your ballot in this election — who are also committed to public education. Along with me, these people are rolling up their sleeves, giving of themselves to better the future of our home state.

CLOSE

Gubernatorial candidate David Garcia shared his ideas for funding education during his visit to the azcentral newsroom on Sept. 27, 2018.
William Flannigan, azcentral

But the same old story plays out.

It’s now a predictable one: A candidate surfaces that threatens the status quo run by corporations, CEOs and lobbyists. Millions of dollars in campaign spending mobilizes to drown out the new candidate and preserve the power of the status quo.

Unable to run on his own record of tax cuts for those at the top, and the largest privatization of our public schools in history, Ducey, a wealthy out-of-state politician, brought $17 million in outside and corporate campaign contributions to blanket Arizona television screens with a haboob of racialized, fear-based and deceptive commercials — juxtaposing my darkened skin against white women and children afraid for their safety.

This is who my supporters really are

This is the lesson so many Arizona candidates have learned the hard way: Offer Arizonans a different path forward, one that prioritizes our public schools, health care, integrity in state government and an economy for all, and watch the deluge of corporate and lobbyist money reframe the election in racial terms using fear and lies.

These fear-based cynical tactics lead to politicians who serve those who financed those campaigns and who ignore the rest of us. Those donations from CEOs and corporations come with strings attached.

My donations come from the people I am fighting for: Educators, veterans, working families. My average contribution is $48. Ducey’s is $1,600. I have more individual contributions — more than 45,000 — than all the Republican statewide and federal candidates combined, and not a penny from lobbyists or corporate PACs.

CLOSE

Gubernatorial candidate David Garcia shared his thoughts about services for veterans during his visit to the azcentral newsroom on Sept. 27, 2018.
William Flannigan, azcentral

In the Army, I took an oath to protect our country, one I take seriously to this day. More than that, I am a father who will do whatever I can to protect all of our children. To claim otherwise is a lie. When elected, I will be more committed to our public schools than any governor in our history. I will be free from corporate and lobbyist influence and be able to truly serve the people of Arizona.

I want to be direct with my fellow Arizonans. My responsibility as a public servant is to serve the breadth of our beautiful state, and to not let the tribalism of today's politics define the content of our message, or the content of our character.

In the end, I’m not just asking for your vote. I’m asking for your trust. I’d be honored to earn both.

David Garcia is a husband, dad, teacher and U.S. Army veteran. He is the Democratic candidate for governor. Reach him at info@dg4az.com; on Twitter, dg4az.com.